Mayor Assures That the Cable Car Is Now Operating Normally Following Technical Repairs
The mayor of Brava, Amândio Brito, confirmed today that the Lomba Tantum cable car is now operational and running “flawlessly,” following the correction of technical issues detected in the motor.
The mayor’s response comes in the wake of concerns raised publicly by Ivone Cardoso, a representative of the Movement for Democracy (MpD, opposition), who drew attention to the inactivity of the facility supporting the local fishing community.
The same source had highlighted the role the cooperative had been playing in supporting the fishing sector and community development, expressing the need to find solutions to the constraints affecting the organization and the fishing community.
Speaking to Inforpress, the mayor of Brava noted that the cable car began operating on May 17 and is now transporting fish as usual, following a coordinated effort between the municipality and the government, through the Ministry of the Sea, which, he explained, “made every effort” to ensure the system could become operational.
“It did work for a while; however, we detected that the motor was overheating, so we immediately notified Cabnave and the Director-General of Fisheries and shut down the equipment right away to prevent further damage,” he explained.
Amândio Brito stated that the situation was explained to the fishermen and fishmongers and that Cabnave technicians—who had already been on the island during the installation and replacement of the cableway—were called in immediately.
According to the mayor, the inspection revealed that the equipment’s motor had been installed incorrectly.
The problem, he added, was identified with the help of a local machine operator who detected the issue; the engine was then repositioned correctly, allowing the equipment to resume normal operation.
Amândio Brito revealed, however, that a second problem had been identified involving the cable car cable, which had not been sufficiently taut.
“As it was going up, it was hitting a rock and a thorn tree further up,” he explained, adding that, with the authorization of the Director-General of Fisheries, a technician from Brava Island itself corrected the situation.
“It’s currently carrying 30 kilograms of fish without any problems,” he assured.
As for the Lomba Tantum Fishermen’s Cooperative, Amândio Brito advocated for restructuring the management model to prevent the individual appropriation of assets.
“The cooperative belongs to the people and must serve the people, not a single individual. A new management model must be implemented, and the local government is already working on it.”
